Hi! I have 3 young children (6yo, 3yo, 11mo) who are home all day since daycare and school has been canceled due to covid. I’ve noticed that I feel a lot of anxiety and self-imposed pressure to create a schedule with activities for the kids to do each day. Part of me feels like this is my job as a mother to help protect them from feeling isolated at this time. I often feel panicked when I don’t have anything for them to do. I’m trying to figure out why boredom is such a scary thing for me. One reason may be because the kids are always begging for TV and we try to limit it. I worry that if I don’t have an activity to do, they’ll whine and beg for TV. Then I feel guilty if I tell them they can’t watch TV if I don’t have an alternative game to offer. Another reason is that I’m not very creative and it’s hard for me to come up with games on the fly. I have always been a planner and very type A personality. My husband is the opposite- he’s a musician and can come up with silly games that the kids love at any moment. When I try to think of something to do, my mind goes blank and I feel really anxious. I bought a book with activities for kids and have been pouring over pinterest to find things to do. Initially I found some fun things but it’s getting harder and harder to come up with new stuff.

So…I guess my question is how can I change my thinking so that each day doesn’t feel so stressful and like it needs so much preparation? Thanks!